


dear long gone past

by peppersnot



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Tokyo Ghoul AU, but not too graphic i think youre mostly safe, some descriptions of gorey stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2018-03-19 06:02:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3599100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppersnot/pseuds/peppersnot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What if Crow’s not a bad guy?" Misaki is still looking at the ground and there are a million thoughts running through Saruhiko's head. He just needs to confirm this...this new thing he's realized.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dear long gone past

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt I got was coffee shop AU and that's what it started as, but clearly, something went wrong there. I'm sorry. I'm still open for prompts if you have any? I'll try not to completely distort them....
> 
> Title is a part from TGA's ending song!

Misaki gives him a grin when he enters, waving from behind the counter. Saruhiko makes his way to the front of the shop and seats himself on one of the stools, sighing with relief as his feet finally leave the ground. He’s tired. He’s had to work overtime, because government jobs are a piece of fucking shit, and he’s really fucking tired. He would have gone straight home, but he also has paperwork due tomorrow, and to do that, he needs caffeine. The sun isn't down yet and the dull colours make him even more tired.

“The usual?” Misaki asks him, and without waiting for an answer, starts preparing the latte he was eventually going to order anyway. He watches the redhead bustle around, occasionally calling out a ‘Welcome to Homra!’ as customers come in, and thinks about the work he has to do and how long it’s going to take him. It’s not a nice thought, honestly.

Over the humming of the coffee machine and the buzz of conversation around the shop, Saruhiko catches the sound of the news channel, running at low volume on the LCD screen to his right. The picture on display is a familiar one. It's the body Hidaka's squad had found today. Seeing it once had been bad enough to make him want to throw up, and when Misaki places his cup in front of him, he eyes it wearily, not sure if he wants it anymore. It's a little surprising, even to himself, because he should be used to the blood and gore by now.

"You okay?" Misaki asks. "You look like you're getting sick."

"I'm fine," he replies. "Just grossed out by that, that's all." He points to the screen and Misaki nods in understanding.

"I didn't know those things made you queasy."

"It's gross when you're touching the body, you know. I can still feel it on my hands." Saruhiko shudders and takes a sip of his coffee - perfect, as always. "I wish ghouls would stop being so fucking hungry all the time and lay low; I'm sick of paperwork."

Misaki gives him a strange look and for a second Saruhiko thinks he's about to say something. The bell at the door jingles and Misaki immediately turns his attention to the new customer. Saruhiko returns to his coffee.

* * *

 

 "Crow again." Is how Awashima greets him the next morning, as she rushes past with Akiyama and Domyouji in tow. He has ten seconds to register what that means -  _Crow attacked, let's go_  - and groans.

It's not like going to the crime scene is a big deal, honestly. He's going in a car; the actual thing doesn't feel as gruesome as it once did, when he'd first started off. He actually likes the field work a lot more than being holed up in the office typing away at his laptop.

It's just the Crow victims that make him uneasy. Crow is a messy eater, the bodies he leaves behind have their organs all over the place, and cleaning up the mess and trying to figure out Crow's intentions is the hard part. Ghouls can live on one human body per month, but Crow eats at least two every week. And he never eats them fully. Some have missing legs, some a missing torso, some a missing head.

It scares Saruhiko, although he doesn't know why. Personally, he thinks ghouls should just be left alone. It isn't their fault they're ghouls, is it? Giving them one body per month isn't that hard either. People die everyday, there are loads of now-useless  to give away. Humans are weird, he thinks as he gets out of the car.

The victim this time is a girl. She has blonde hair and her face is intact - blue eyes wide open in terror, and a scream halfway through her mouth. Her arms and legs are missing. It smells terrible - he's pretty sure this body has been here longer than they say it has - which is probably one night. It's in a secluded place after all. Nobody comes here. Nobody would have come here at all, nobody would have even found this body, had it not been for the homeless guy wanting a piss.

He should have taken it somewhere else, Saruhiko things grumpily as Domyouji starts taking pictures of the scene. He sighs and starts working.

* * *

 

"You seem pretty tired recently," Misaki tells him when he comes into the shop two days later. He hasn't even sat down and Misaki's already making his latte.

"What if I was in the mood for espresso today?"

Misaki shrugs. "That'll never happen."

Sighing, Saruhiko sits and looks at the LCD screen. The news today is something about a kid who tried to run away from home. "There was another attack two days ago," he says. There is a nagging feeling telling him he should probably not talk about work here, and not with Misaki, but he doesn't stop. "I want to quit my job."

Honestly, he isn't even sure why he ever joined the CCG anyway. Maybe CCG alone would have been fine, but he's part of S4, which deals with the SS-rated ghouls, and that is more work right there.

"You seem to have more against your job than the ghouls," Misaki says, laughing as he leans over the counter to place the cup in front of him. Saruhiko takes a sip.

"I have a thing against paperwork, and ghouls don't scare me."

"Don't they? They could kill you."

Saruhiko shrugs. "If I'm meant to die that way, it'll happen. My being scared won't change anything."

Misaki opens his mouth to say something but is cut off by a loud yell of "Yata!" They turn to see Chitose Yoh, the guy who waits the tables, pointing at the clock. Misaki turns a bright red.

"U-um, s-so uh," he says, fidgeting with his hands. "Are you like, free some time soon - I mean I know you have your job and everything but like if you don't have anything to do then maybe w-we could - "

"Are you asking me out?" Saruhiko smirks and the shade of red on Misaki's face gets brighter. He watches in amusement as Misaki struggles to find words. "Thursday's cool. Unless that ass Crow attacks again, then I'll have to leave."

"O-oh," Misaki says. "Yeah you just...come here any time after six then, cause that's the time my shift is over."

"Okay."

* * *

 

He hopes Crow doesn't attack. He's never been one for dating, and when he first entered the shop that one day back in January last year, he had found Misaki extremely annoying, with his bright smile and optimism - the exact opposite of Saruhiko. It's weird, he thinks, how he's opened up enough to want to  _date_  Misaki.

"Fushimi-san looks happy today," Fuse comments when it's almost 5:30. Everyone present turns to look, to see how much truth the statement holds and Saruhiko only glares at the picture of Crow on the laptop, choosing to ignore the stares. He's still doing the paperwork for the dead girl in the abandoned alleyway. The reports say the body was at least a week old when they'd found it. That's how all of Crow's victims are. All hidden in secluded places, all having started decaying several days before they are found.

At six, he tells Awashima he's leaving because he has a prior engagement to accommodate. She gives him a look but lets him leave. Probably because she's already planning on the number of days she's going to make him work overtime. If he runs home, he can change into decent clothes and show up at Homra, without being too late or too early to make his eagerness show.

Misaki is inside when he reaches, and sees him through the window. He stands up to come out and Saruhiko watches through the glass as Kusanagi Izumo, the owner of the shop, puts his hands on Misaki's shoulder and says something with a grave face. Misaki nods, and steps outside, giving Saruhiko a wide grin. He's dressed in casual clothes as well, although it's obvious he's tried his best to look nice.

"Hey!" He says breathily. "You made it!"

"For now," Saruhiko tells him. "I did tell you the condition."

"Yeah." Misaki nods but he doesn't look at all worried that there could be anything to disrupt their date.  _Date._ Even the thought is weird. But oddly happy as well. Which is weirder.

"Have you eaten?" Saruhiko asks and notices a look of sheer panic flush over Misaki's face but it's gone in an instant. "I know this ramen place..."

"Ah, oh, um. Sure."

"If you don't like ramen we can - "

"No, no, ramen's cool!" Misaki smiles and takes his hand, sending a jolt through his body. He also turns bright red, probably not knowing where he got the courage to take a step like as big as holding hands and Saruhiko finds it almost funny. He leads them to the restaurant, fingers intertwined all the way.

He still doesn't think something's right and watches Misaki's face intently when the bowls are placed in front of them. Misaki puts in too much salt and when he picks up his chopsticks and starts eating, makes a face.

"I told you not to put in too much salt."

"Yeah...should have listened..."

"I can order another..?"

"No, no, this is fine." Misaki continues eating, face contorting with every bite. "I'm not gonna waste this."

Saruhiko eats his own in silence. Under the table, their hands are still clasped tightly together, and his grip gets tighter when Misaki orders coffee after he's done with his ramen.

"I'm surprised Crow didn't do anything shitty today," Saruhiko says cautiously once they've paid and left. Misaki suggested a walk in the park. The sun is still up, and there are still people in the park at this time. Saruhiko doesn't have his quinque, but the knives he keeps hidden up his sleeve feel hot against his arm.

"Maybe he was busy," Misaki murmurs.

"Think he's having fun?"

"Possibly."

There's silence for a while. They've run out of safe topics to talk about. Soap commercials, Misaki's gynophobia, Homra, Misaki's sister, the dumb animal mascot for one of the toy shops they pass. It's mainly Misaki doing the talking, mostly because Saruhiko has other things on his mind.

"You know," Misaki begins, breaking the silence. "I've...heard a lot about this Crow person."

Saruhiko raises an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"I um...what if he's not a bad guy?"

"According to society and the law, he is," Saruhiko says. "Murder is illegal."

"Don't humans murder animals everyday to eat them because they need to stay alive? Doesn't that count as something illegal too?"

"Not according to the law."

Misaki looks at the ground, and the frustration is evident in his voice when he speaks again. "I just think it's unfair on ghouls, I mean, they need to live too, right?"

"Yeah," Saruhiko says, although honestly he can't bring himself to care much. "But the state says murder of any human is illegal, because the state is run by humans, and according to that, Crow is a - how did you put it? - 'bad guy'."

"How do you know he's murdering people?"

Saruhiko blinks. "What do you mean?"

"What if he's not killing live humans to eat them?" Misaki is still looking at the ground and there are a million thoughts running through Saruhiko's head. He just needs to confirm this...this new  _thing_  he's realized. "What if he's eating the ones that are already dead?"

Saruhiko kisses him. He tastes of ramen and coffee and there's a faint metallic tinge to it, suggesting regular consumption of.... _something,_ he doesn't know. Misaki squeaks in surprise and Saruhiko deepens the kiss, finding he doesn't actually care about the taste because kissing Misaki is making him feel weak kneed, and melty.

It's dark by now. They're standing a few steps near the park gates, and Misaki's eyes are wide, his face flushed. Saruhiko can tell, even without the light.

"Do you think Crow is on a date today?" He whispers and watches Misaki put the pieces together, listens to his brains whirring inside his head

"Maybe," he finally breathes out.

"He should know," Saruhiko says, pulling Misaki into a hug. "Not everyone thinks ghouls are bad. I mean, I don't. I think I'm in love with one."

Misaki shudders and presses his forehead against Saruhiko's chest.

**Author's Note:**

> on tumblr@candylit


End file.
